A group of Aboriginal trainees, interns, and emerging professionals from alliance partners Laing O’Rourke, WSP and ARUP came together in July for a special Learning Day at the Hazelmere Precast Facility, part of the Main Roads Swan River Crossings Project.

The visit included five Rigging Trainees from the project, an Engineering Intern from CareerTrackers and Design Trainees from WSP working on the Main Roads Engineer Technical Services Panel. Welcomed by project team members Steve Jopson, David Williams, and Colin Blighe, the group toured the facility, learned about precast design, and experienced a virtual reality walkthrough of the bridge worksite.

“The event was a great opportunity to connect our five rigging trainees who normally work across two sites. They really enjoyed sharing their learning journey and the work they’re doing,” said Steve Jopson, Precast Manager.

The Rigging Traineeship Program has grown from two to five participants, with four being Aboriginal young peoples. All are progressing well toward completing their Certificate III in Rigging within the next nine months.

“I could not be happier with their enthusiasm, commitment, and energy. They’re learning every day and it’s wonderful to see their growth,” Steve added.

Senior Indigenous Affairs and Social Inclusion Advisor Amanda Inman also highlighted the importance of diverse pathways. “It was wonderful to welcome the WSP Design Trainees and our CareerTrackers intern into our project trainee cohort. We’re proud to offer a broad range of Aboriginal training pathways on the project, including design and engineering. I thank the Swan River Crossings team for their commitment to our trainees and our project board for championing learning days like these to bring our people together.”

Discover the professional development programs and opportunities at Main Roads here.